Although I consider myself current with pop culture, this is the first season I’ve watched “American Idol.”

In years past, I’ve seen the last 15 minutes of some of the final shows to see who wins, but not knowing who’s who, I didn’t really care one way or another.

This season, mostly because I hate being left out of the water-cooler conversation, I decided early on to watch every episode – from first auditions to finale – and I even hope to buy tickets to see the Top Ten Idol contestants when they go on tour this summer.

For those of you who may have not caught up with the latest internet fad, Twitter is an Internet-based, social-networking service that allows the user to send short messages to a group of friends. Since the messages can’t be larger than 140 characters, it’s designed to give friends just a little taste of what’s going on in your life.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky threw its annual party last week in Lexington.

Sixteen teams from around the state earned the right to take part in the National City/Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena.

The tournament tipped off Wednesday afternoon and concluded on Saturday night with the Holmes Bulldogs cutting down the nets after defeating Louisville Central in double overtime in the Championship Game.

Tough times require us to think of ways of saving and getting the most out of what we have.

As you may know, the month of April is when the law requires the delinquent tax bills to be sold at the courthouse steps. The tax sale in Owen County will be held April 29. After the tax sale, all the delinquent tax bills are turned over to the County Clerk’s Office.

At this time the tax payer will be faced with an increase in the amount due. However, if your tax bill is purchased from the clerk’s office by a third party, the price grows more and more.

I am sure that when most people see that I am writing a column about getting ready to dance they will assume I am referring to March Madness – otherwise known as the “Big Dance.” The tournament is one of my favorite times of the year.

But I am not writing this about basketball. In fact, I write this column at the expense of my manhood.

One of my mentors-at-a-distance was Carl Sagan. I watched his now-famous TV show, Cosmos, read some of his books and read his articles in the popular media. His words in a Sunday magazine article, though written over 20 years ago, blazed off the paper and have stuck with me through the years. Carl saw the training he received as a great gift, one that the son of an immigrant would never have received except for this wonderful confluence of time and space – here and now and in America.

When I was younger, it was always a treat for me to get to come to Owenton.

It may not be the biggest city, it may not have big fancy restaurants, a Wal-Mart or a plethora of clothing stores, but there was always something about Owenton that appealed to me.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed something about Owenton that is drastically different from other cities I’ve visited. The courthouse sits at the center of downtown, and the downtown area thrives right around the courthouse.

In a society where so much emphasis is being placed on winning, it seems there is not enough being placed on how to act when you do. Not only can you be a poor sport when you lose, it is not uncommon for someone to be a sore winner.

That is not the case in Owen County.

The basketball teams made history this season when both the varsity girls and boys won a District Championship. The boys even advanced to the semifinals of the 8th Region Tournament.

As most of you probably know, on the morning of Jan. 22 my daughter was in a horrific car accident. She had left, as she did every morning, wondering if I liked her shirt, if her hair looked OK and could I grab her a snack for breakfast. In less than five minutes after she left, a friend of hers called me and said, “Katey has been in an accident.” It took me seconds to be out the door and to her.

For the last month I have been living two very different lives. One as a newspaper reporter and the other as a student at Lexington Theological Seminary. I have realized I cannot do both and do them both well.

It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to leave the staff of the News-Herald. While I am looking forward to this new path in my life, it is sad to see my time as a reporter come to an end.

When a local person is invited to participate in a beauty pageant, it’s usually pretty big news.

If one of our local ladies was asked to strut her stuff in an important competition, the News-Herald would devote a lot of ink to it – pictures, a nice story, reaction from mom and dad – stuff like that.

Well, one Owen County resident was recently asked to take their place among dozens of beautiful, smart, ambitious young women.

But other than this mention, the News-Herald won’t be covering the event.

I once took a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in early March. I was broadcasting basketball on the radio at the time for Northern Kentucky University and the team headed north to play Lake Superior State University.

The team lost and the next morning on the bus outside the hotel I was listening to a local disc jockey who said with much enthusiasm that the current temperature was -2 degrees. He then went on to say that spring was just around the corner.

I’m sure it stunk for thousands of other Owen countians stuck in the dark.

When I was a kid, I was a big fan of winter – snow storms meant no school; sleigh riding down the steep hill in front of my mom’s house in Cynthiana; snowball fights with the 14 other kids who lived in my neighborhood; or chasing my dog Radar through the snow drifts.

I am independent and usually self-sufficient, but the second total hip-replacement surgery in four years and the recent snowstorm left my driveway and my porch inches deep in snow and me unable to clean it.

First, Brett Inman who was here installing a new bathroom heater, took the time to shovel part of the drive and to clean the snow off the porch. I didn’t ask him to do it.

It all started on a very cold day in February at Elk Creek Lodge and ended where it began on a very warm day in October.

A group of people ranging in age and occupation set out on a journey to learn more about education, health care, child services, government, agriculture, entrepreneurship and industry relating to our community.

February was the kickoff to it all as we learn things about the people in the group and each other’s view and perceptions of what to expect of the leadership class.

Gracious people and our Gracious Lord Jesus were there when our van went over the edge of Highway 22, Dec. 23.

It was “black ice night.” I made the mistake of tapping my brake, preparing for a curve, past the high school. Sapling trees prevented me from rolling. The seat belt held. The air bag did not even open.

Mike W. was at my window in less than one minute. “I’ll call 911,” he encouraged after he found I was unharmed.

Music has always been an integral part of my life. The amount of money I have invested in my CD and record collection would more than likely seem foolish to most. My collection spans many genres including country, western swing, blues, classical, jazz and so on.